The Thunder have taken the lead in their NBA Finals series against the Pacers after winning Game 5 120-109 at home to make the series 3-2 in their favor. Tyrese Haliburton did not have a single field goal in the game as he struggled after suffering a first-half injury to his calf. Jalen Williams dropped 40 points to lead all scorers for the Thunder as they did not let the Pacers rally back into this game in the fourth quarter.
Several NBA fans who saw this game took to social media and criticized Tyrese Haliburton for his struggles in arguably one of the most important games of the season. Some of them sympathized with his injury in the first half, but most of them felt that his playing while injured did more harm than good for the Pacers.
“JDUB in the biggest game of his career: 40 PTS. Tyrese “Superstar” Haliburton: 4 PTS Let’s never put Hali in talks, he doesn’t belong in,” said a fan on X.
“Games like this are why the ‘Tyrese Haliburton is overrated’ whispers won’t die,” wrote another fan.
“Never putting US currency on Tyrese Haliburton again,” said an unhappy fan who likely bet on the Pacers to win this game.
“Pacers’ coach is legit, so stupid why remove TJ McConnell for Tyrese Haliburton,” said an unhappy fan who wanted to see TJ McConnell close out the game after his resilience sparked the Pacers in the third and the beginning of the fourth quarter to cut this game to a two-possession difference down the stretch. However, as soon as he was benched, the Thunder were able to increase their lead and won the game.
“Tyrese Haliburton has no business playing in the 4th. Dude is a waste of playing time,” wrote another fan who resonated with the sentiment that his playing did more harm for the team than it benefited them.
Jalen Williams’ 40-point performance made it seem like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points) is the Robin to his Batman and not the other way around.
Tyrese Haliburton finished the game with four points, six assists, and seven rebounds, while not making a single field goal in the game. In the first half, he suffered a calf injury, which forced him to go to the locker room and return late in the second quarter.
The biggest question for the Pacers is whether this injury will impact his availability in Game 6, as the Thunder are only one win away from the NBA championship, and the Pacers need all hands on deck and all their stars to fight through any injuries and sickness to help them force a Game 7 by winning Game 6 in Indiana.
